Wilhelm placed his two allocatable stat points into stamina and charged at the closest wolf, on his left. He wasn't going to wait and let the beasts form a well-trained formation around him; that would be idiotic.
Both daggers played in his hands as he reached the first wolf instantly, stabbing it in the neck before it could even react.
Blood spurted for its body and the agile wolf which was crouching behind it lept up in retaliation. Yet, its fate was similar to the first one. Wilhelm rotated his body to the right and kicked it in the ribs, blasting it a few meters east, into another random wolf.
Strength and agility had never been an issue, especially speed. Wilhelm moved quicker than what the wolves were capable of even discerning with their eyes. He was like a tiger in a flock of sheep, slaughtering another wolf each and every second that passed by. With his masterful use of his daggers and his flexible body, he was unmatched on the battlefield. Even if two or three attacked at the same time, it was pointless.
Like this, countless carcasses laid in his wake as he moved out of the encirclement. At no point in time did he let the wolves cover all four of his sides, he made sure that he only fought a maximum of three at time.
They were actually weaker than what Wilhelm had initially anticipated. Unlike the annoying alligators in the past, they used no form of magic. Even if there were hundreds of them, a lot of garbage simply creates a larger pile of garbage. Ironically, their bodies were also forming a large heap of mass behind him as he moved forward.
After around fifteen minutes, Wilhelm looked down and breathed out a sigh of relief. It had only taken him around 20 minutes to kill a few hundred wolves.
"The scenario isn't so bad, rather, it's like a warm-up," he commented.
[Spectrals, otherwise known as mirror images, do not warrant any experience]
[The bodies will now disappear]
Right as the string of notifications appeared, the pile of bodies that Wilhelm had been sitting on disappeared. In replacement, a voice sounded out inside of his head.
[Stage one has been completed with S level ranking]
[Stage two shall now commence]
Once again, the scenery began to change into something completely different. The night sky was replaced by a blue, cloud-filled sky. The tall trees and thick bushes were removed, and a rocky plain appeared in its stead. Spacious cracks webbed the vast ground and a dry desert presented itself.
The blazing suns stinging rays of light gleamed onto Wilhelm's face as a deep sigh escaped from his mouth. The thing he hated the most was warm weather, it reminded him of the time he had been deployed. In fact, he preferred colder weather over the musky caves he had the unfortunate fate of living in for the past few months.
"Fuck the sun," Wilhelm mumbled.
While Wilhelm was busy cursing the very sun itself, a dozen oversized lizards began to break through the earth and flick out their long tongues. Their eyes twirled around and landed on Wilhelm, to which a glistening fireball formed on top of their tails.
Noticing a dozen lights flare-up in the distance, Wilhelm temporarily forgot his hatred for the sun and glanced to the left.
"Oh boy, flaming lizards that don't even grant me experience…" Wilhelm said sarcastically while flipping his daggers around. He really, really, wanted to finish the scenario and escape the dungeon as quickly as possible. He had been far too long without real food and clothes.
Unfortunately, the lizards were the only things he could currently vent his frustrations out on.
…
Screams echoed out in the distance as Wilhelm wreaked havoc.
[Scenario 2 has been completed with S level ranking]
[Spectrals, otherwise known as mirror images, do not warrant any experience]
[The bodies will now disappear]
[The final scenario shall now commence]
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
After finishing the second scenario, the scenery began to change once again. This time, instead of the luscious greenery or desolate deserts, he found himself inside of a bland room. There was not a single thing in sight, only blankness. No sound, light, or life. Just emptiness.
Wilhelm, who had expected to fight some sort of domineering monster, was thoroughly perplexed. He squinted his eyes as he inspected the four walls surrounding him, unable to comprehend how to proceed. He could only cautiously waltz to the southernmost part of the box and place his cold hands onto it.
It didn't feel any different in comparison to an ordinary building, so he decided to exert some force. The veins on his hands bulged as the muscles in his arms flexed, becoming taut. Yet, the wall remained sturdy and unchanged, as if Wilhelm was a minor nuisance. Even he, who had seen many, many, strange things, was shocked.
It had to be understood that the current force Wilhelm could muster was vastly superior to an average human. Whether it was lifting up a car or ripping a building from its foundation, he was confident that he could manage to accomplish those things with ease. But this power clearly meant nothing to the space he was confided inside of.
"Interesting…" he whispered to himself while taking a step back and observing the rest of the room. Everything else appeared to be an exact replica, but he decided to try all of the different barriers, just in case it was some kind of trap.
He duplicated the same actions as before and repeated them several times, only to frown in disappointment at each turn. He even tried both the floor and roof, alas, it was useless. Either he was too weak, or the walls were too tough. Regardless of whichever it was, Wilhelm couldn't help but feel utterly vexed.
The other two scenarios were relatively straightforward and easy to understand, so he expected this one to be the same. As such, he walked toward the middle of the room and stroked his beard in contemplation. He decided to try and think of a solution.
If he disregarded the strange elf and weird creatures, then the dungeon was quite identical to the ones you could find in the video games on Earth. Whether it was the floors, trials, or strange bosses at the end of each tunnel, it was all cliché and had been done millions of times before. That was including the strange system and outline for "skills" and "abilities."
As he thought along these lines, a few different ideas immediately sprung up. Althan'aral had said multiple times that this was a trial, so each scenario would presumably test a different aspect of himself. The first trial tested his power and bravery, while the second scenario assessed his resilience and will. Both were different in their own right, but possessed similar qualities.
"Perhaps, this a test of my intelligence? Or maybe, my patience?" He mumbled with a little bit of understanding. With the lack of sound and light, a normal human would've likely already gotten anxious, let alone a normal creature that lacked IQ. It could already be seen that Wilhelm was an extremely special case, as he had already been locked inside of the dark dungeon for God knows how long.
With that qualification, this "trial" would be a breeze for Wilhelm, as long as it truly was merely a test of patience. Thus, he began to think of a few ways to pass the time. His attention was immediately focused on the single evolution point he possessed; what better time to cultivate than in a secure space-like cell?
The last time he received an evolution point was when he had reached level eight, but now, he was already level twelve. He had advanced leaps and bounds since then, partially due to the meticulous and dexterous hands he obtained from the point. Wilhelm vividly remembered the other selections, which were rather tantalizing as well.
[Evolution point: Once a sufficient amount of experience has been acquired, you will be awarded one. The human body is incapable of withstanding your current strength, nor is it possible to hold more mana. Thus, you must choose one of the options below if you wish to survive and gain more strength]
[1. Mana core; increases mana absorbing capabilities.]
[2. Vampires claws; improves lethality with unarmed combat.]
[3. Demon eyes; intimidates lesser beings
and increases hand-eye coordination.]
…
Instead of the four options like last time, only three popped up. Again, Wilhelm was a little befuddled on how he had any connection to vampires or demons, but he didn't pay it too much mind. Rather, he weighed the pros and cons of each selection, hoping to pick the best match. Just like last time.
The mana core was very appealing, but he still had no abilities that actually required the so-called mana. So, he felt as though it would be a waste to use his evolution point on something that he couldn't even use at the moment. As for the claws, he excelled in dagger mastery, rendering the presumably long nails useless.
Now, logically speaking, the demon eyes were clearly superior to the other two options. However, Wilhelm was also aware that every subsequent upgrade would then have some sort of connection to demons. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but who knows what a demon actual was in The Holy Land… Wilhelm could only speculate about such things.
He was picky about his choices, but his mind didn't dally for much longer. The "intimidation" aspect of the demon's eyes was just far too alluring for his contemporary situation. A dungeon crawling with monsters, both big and small. Not to mention the fact that hand-eye combination is essential for weapon wielders; it was the ideal pathway for him.
With that thought in mind, he confidently selected the demon's eyes. It was easily the best choice out of the bunch, even when considering the unforeseeable future.
However, just like the last time he had used an evolutionary point, an incomparably painful stinging pain assaulted him. He growled in anguish and fell to the ground whilst madly rubbing his eyes. It felt as though his eyeballs, both of them, were being destroyed and reconstructed thousands of times. Even his left eye, which he had once lost in battle, was throbbing with unparalleled discomfort.
Wilhelm's cries reverberated throughout the empty room, bouncing off of the walls and echoing into his eardrums. It lasted the entire time it takes to brew a cup of coffee before abrupt silence pervaded into the space cage. Sweat drenched his clothes and dripped from his furrowed brows, creating a puddle underneath him. But, Wilhelm was no longer awake to clean up his unseemly appearance.
Instead, he felt his consciousness drift into somewhere completely unknown to him. The land was dark, the skies were red, and rivers of blood flowed through the ground. Volcanoes were sporadically erupting to the east, while strange vultures were constantly circling above, picking off the rotten flesh down below. Countless bodies could be seen laid strewn on the surface, garnering a strange irk from Wilhelm.
The corpses were mangled beyond recognition, leaving few details as to who committed this atrocity. Wilhelm felt his body turn cold as he gazed downward, a sense of familiarity arising within his heart. The bodies were not slain by swords or axes, no, they were killed by heaps of bullets and explosives.
A cold breeze flashed across his face, causing him to jolt his head to the north, where a single man stood. He was wearing foreign clothes and his face was blurry, but he wielded an assault rifle as he glared at Wilhelm.
"Y-you killed me, leaving my family alone without any protection, nor a father!" he screamed, causing bizarre memories to flood it Wilhelm's head.
He dreamt of beautiful children growing up in harsh conditions, with no father or steady income. Their mother worked herself to death while attempting to provide for them, and the children were forced into the ruthless military to survive. There, they were subjugated to inhuman torture, only to be used as cannon fodder in a few small skirmishes.
Wilhelm massaged the temples of his forehead has more and more "ghosts" began to appear around him. They were all people who he had killed in the past, and how these men and women's families were affected by his slaughtering. Their malice knew no bounds as it bore into Wilhelm's soul, reminding him of the very thing he sought to forget.
Image after image was showcased to Wilhelm as he clutched his head in pain. Unbeknownst to even himself, tears streamed down his face. Even though he had prepared himself to face hell in the past, it was mentally draining and cut deeper than any blade possibly could.
…
Hours later, when Wilhelm was it his whims end, a profound voice boomed inside of his head. "Do you understand? To acquire my eyes, you must see all of the evil that you have spread, all of the hatred and malice you have created."
Wilhelms sweat-drenched self, stood up from the ground, his entire body pale and shaking. His normally sarcastic expression was nowhere to be seen as he glared straight ahead, unsure if he was staring at something, or nothing.
"Every action has an equal and opposite reaction," Wilhelm replied, "If I did not kill them, then they would have killed my comrades... my family! I made a choice, and I live by that choice to this day."
The voice echoed out once again, "is that not just an excuse you tell yourself? You made a choice to join the war. To pick up your weapon and walk down the sad road that you did, all of that was of your own volition."
A growl escaped from Wilhelm as he laughed coldly, "war is not about who is just or righteous, nor is it about honor and duty. War is only about who is left and who is written down in the annals of history!"
Wilhelm paused as he gasped for breath, "just like me, those men signed up for war and entered the battlefield. If you are prepared to kill, then you should be prepared to die. In the end, I won, and they lost. Their families poor fate was simply collateral damage, it's not something that I could have changed."
As he spoke to here, the strange terrain changed back into the empty room. The thousands of bodies disappeared, and the loud volcanic eruptions vanished, replaced by utter silence. He snapped open his tightly shut eyes and jumped to his feet. His greasy, black hair fell below his shoulders and covered most of his pale face.
He didn't know how long he had been trapped inside of that strange dream state, but his entire body was in a sluggish state. Wilhelm glanced both left and right while slicking his long hair back, revealing his blemishless skin and handsome features.
"These evolutionary points are no joke…" he whispered in shock.
[Demon Eyes LV.MAX have been acquired]
[Intimidates lesser creatures and causes them to enter a panicked state]
[Increases agility by 2]
[Increases charm by 1]
Wilhelm nodded in appreciation, acknowledging the pleasant advancement in strength. Although he couldn't look in the mirror, he felt as though his eyes had thoroughly changed. Even his once blind eye was completely capable of perfect perception.
Thinking to here, he decided to scour through his changed status.
---------------
[Character Information]
Name: Wilhelm Siegfried
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Level: 12, [4,500/20,000 EXP]
Class: Mortician (2) [52/250]
Strength: 16
Agility: 24
Intelligence: 17
Stamina: 16
Magic Power: 1
Charm: 1
HP: 150/150
MP: 10/10
Skills: Krav Maga (level 10), indomitable will (level 1), superior intellect (level 2), Gun proficiency (level 10), Night-eye (class-skill), masterful hands (level 5), Spectral Dagger (level 3), Demon Eyes (level max).
Items: None
Allocatable stat points: 0
Evolution points: 0
Title: Insect Marauder
Coins: 4
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
While Wilhelm remained trapped inside of the strange cage, the outside world was bustling and progressing by leaps and bounds. Although they were still fragmented, order was beginning to spread amongst the many human establishments.
Those that wished to live inside of the walls without venturing outside were forced to farm and upkeep sanitary levels. Alongside the large influx of new food and crops, the men and women who dared to explore the new world began to flourish in strength.
Their classes and secret classes started to truly show their worth after utilizing their evolution points, allowing them to query into deeper and darker places. Of course, the discovery of dungeons was now widespread, with some basic information already received from those who had survived or transversed the cruel dungeons.
These people were referred to as "dungeon crawlers", otherwise known as the five pillars of humanity. And, at this very moment, those five people were currently sitting across from each other in one of the center-most towns, Luindarall. It was an unprecedented meeting amongst the five legends, but something very important was about to take place. The next batch of humans was about to arrive on The Holy Land.
The Holy Land Page 18